National Council of Resistance of Iran
Encyclopedia
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), founded in 1981 in France
, is the parliament in exile
of the "Iran
ian Resistance", and is a political umbrella coalition
of five Iranian opposition political organizations, the largest organization being the People's Mujahedin of Iran
.
The President-elect
of the NCRI is Maryam Rajavi
, currently living in exile in Paris, while the President Massoud Rajavi
, has not made any public appearances since the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, and is presumed to be in hiding.
The NCRI has been a controversial subject for economical-political exchange dialogues between the Iranian government, the EU and the US on several occasions, and considerable controversy surrounds the issues of whether the NCRI is merely a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran
; whether the NCRI is involved in terrorism, or if it is a "a legitimate dissident organization fighting for democracy in Iran".
On 20 February 2008, in a press conference in Brussels, NCRI claimed the existence of a clandestine nuclear site in Tehran.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/20/europe/EU-GEN-Belgium-Iran-Nuclear.phphttp://www.arabianbusiness.com/511852-iran-still-building-warheads-say-dissidents?ln=en
head Musud Rajavi, and former president of Iran Abolhassan Banisadr
who were joined by National Democratic Front
and Iranian Kurdish Democratic Party. Some time later the "violent pro-Iraq activities in the Iran-Iraq War
caused the NDF and Bani Sadr to withdraw" from the NCRI. The NCRI is now sometimes referred to by the US State Dept. as simply as an alias for, or "one of several names used by" the PMOI.
Women comprise 50% of the council's members. Five organizations are also members of the NCRI, including the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The provisional government will be in power for only six months and its main responsibility is to hold free and fair elections for a National Legislative and Constituent Assembly and to transfer power to the representatives of the people of Iran.
as President for the transitional period. Her mandate is to oversee the peaceful transfer of power to the Iranian people following the regime's overthrow. Mrs. Rajavi
was born in 1953 in Tehran and has a degree in metallurgy. The shah
executed one of her sisters, Nargess, and the Khomeini regime murdered another, Massoumeh, who was pregnant at the time. Mrs. Rajavi was a leader of the anti-shah student movement in the 1970s.
Addressing a rally of 15,000 Iranians in Dortmund, Germany, on June 16, 1995, Mrs. Rajavi announced her Charter of Fundamental Freedoms for future Iran. In June 1996, Mrs Rajavi addressed some 25,000 Iranians at London's Earls Court.
by the United States
, the latter alleging that the NCRI "is not a separate organization, but is instead, and has been, an integral part of the MEK at all relevant times" and that the NCRI is "the political branch" of the MEK rather than vice versa.
However, some top US officials such as Dick Armey
(the former House majority leader 1995-2003) have acknowledged that the State Department wrongly included MEK in the terrorist list from the beginning. Alireza Jafarzadeh
was its official representative in the USA until the Washington office was closed by the US State Department in 2002 on the grounds that it was only a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran
(PMOI, also known as MEK or MKO), by then listed as a terrorist organisation
in the United States. It has been alleged that the inclusion of NCRI and MEK in the list was a token offered to the theocratic regime of Iran rather than based the facts of the matter. According to the Wall Street Journal "Senior diplomats in the Clinton administration say the MEK figured prominently as a bargaining chip in a bridge-building effort with Tehran." The Journal added that: In 1997, the State Department added the MEK to a list of global terrorist organizations as "a signal" of the U.S.'s desire for rapprochement with Tehran's reformists, says Martin Indyk
, who at the time was assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. President Khatami's government "considered it a pretty big deal," Mr. Indyk says.
The European Union
in May 2004 implied that NCRI is part of the People's Mujahedin of Iran
(rather than vice versa) and excluded the NCRI itself from a list of organisations considered to be terrorist organisations, including the People's Mujahedin of Iran "minus the National Council of Resistance of Iran" on its list of terrorist organisations.
On Monday January 26, 2009, EU Council of Ministers agreed to remove the PMOI from the EU terror list. The group said it was the outcome of a “seven-year-long legal and political battle”.
The Middle East department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO) in the United Kingdom
stated in early 2006 that it is widely understood that “Iran’s [nuclear] program, which was kept secret from the IAEA for 18 years, became public knowledge largely because of revelations of the NCRI, and this led to heightened international concern.” At the same time Michael Axworthy, former head of the Iran section at the FCO, claimed that the NCRI is a "tightly disciplined front-organization for the MEK and deemed them unreliable."
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, is the parliament in exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
of the "Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Resistance", and is a political umbrella coalition
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
of five Iranian opposition political organizations, the largest organization being the People's Mujahedin of Iran
People's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
.
The President-elect
President-elect
An -elect is a political candidate who has been elected to an office but who has not yet been sworn in or officially taken office. These may include an incoming president, senator, representative, governor and mayor.Analogously, the term "designate" An -elect is a political candidate who has been...
of the NCRI is Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi is an Iranian politician who is President elect of National Council of Resistance of Iran, a front group for People's Mujahedin of Iran, since 1993. She is the wife of Massoud Rajavi, a founder of the People's Mujahedin of Iran...
, currently living in exile in Paris, while the President Massoud Rajavi
Massoud Rajavi
Massoud Rajavi , is the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the leader of People's Mujahedin of Iran , an opposition organization active inside and outside of Iran. After leaving Iran in 1981, he resided in France and Iraq...
, has not made any public appearances since the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, and is presumed to be in hiding.
The NCRI has been a controversial subject for economical-political exchange dialogues between the Iranian government, the EU and the US on several occasions, and considerable controversy surrounds the issues of whether the NCRI is merely a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran
People's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
; whether the NCRI is involved in terrorism, or if it is a "a legitimate dissident organization fighting for democracy in Iran".
On 20 February 2008, in a press conference in Brussels, NCRI claimed the existence of a clandestine nuclear site in Tehran.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/20/europe/EU-GEN-Belgium-Iran-Nuclear.phphttp://www.arabianbusiness.com/511852-iran-still-building-warheads-say-dissidents?ln=en
History
The NCRI was originally formed by People's Mujahedin of IranPeople's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
head Musud Rajavi, and former president of Iran Abolhassan Banisadr
Abolhassan Banisadr
Abulhassan Banisadr is an Iranian politician, economist and human rights activist who served as the first President of Iran from 4 February 1980 after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy until his impeachment on 21 June 1981 by the Parliament of Iran...
who were joined by National Democratic Front
National Democratic Front (Iran)
The National Democratic Front of Iran was a liberal-left political party founded during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that overthrew shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and banned within a short time by the Islamic government...
and Iranian Kurdish Democratic Party. Some time later the "violent pro-Iraq activities in the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
caused the NDF and Bani Sadr to withdraw" from the NCRI. The NCRI is now sometimes referred to by the US State Dept. as simply as an alias for, or "one of several names used by" the PMOI.
Parliament in Exile
The NCRI has over 500 members, including representatives of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Kurds, Baluchis, Armenians, Jews and Zoroastrians, representing a broad spectrum of political tendencies in Iran. Acting as parliament in exile, the NCRI aims to establish a democratic, secular and coalition government in Iran.Women comprise 50% of the council's members. Five organizations are also members of the NCRI, including the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
Six-month provisional government
The council's 25 committees form the basis for a provisional coalition government once the mullahs are toppled. Chairing each committee is a prominent political personality who is an expert in the field.The provisional government will be in power for only six months and its main responsibility is to hold free and fair elections for a National Legislative and Constituent Assembly and to transfer power to the representatives of the people of Iran.
President-elect
In August 1993, the NCRI unanimously elected Mrs. Maryam RajaviMaryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi is an Iranian politician who is President elect of National Council of Resistance of Iran, a front group for People's Mujahedin of Iran, since 1993. She is the wife of Massoud Rajavi, a founder of the People's Mujahedin of Iran...
as President for the transitional period. Her mandate is to oversee the peaceful transfer of power to the Iranian people following the regime's overthrow. Mrs. Rajavi
Rajavi
Rajavi is an Iranian surname which may refer to:* Kasem Rajavi - Iranian political activist in exile, brother of Massoud Rajavi.* Massoud Rajavi - Iranian political activist suspected in terrorism....
was born in 1953 in Tehran and has a degree in metallurgy. The shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
executed one of her sisters, Nargess, and the Khomeini regime murdered another, Massoumeh, who was pregnant at the time. Mrs. Rajavi was a leader of the anti-shah student movement in the 1970s.
Addressing a rally of 15,000 Iranians in Dortmund, Germany, on June 16, 1995, Mrs. Rajavi announced her Charter of Fundamental Freedoms for future Iran. In June 1996, Mrs Rajavi addressed some 25,000 Iranians at London's Earls Court.
Human Rights
The NCRI pledges to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all international covenants on human rights, including "freedom of association, freedom of thought and expression, media, political parties, trade unions, councils, religions and denominations, freedom of profession, and prevention of any violation of individual and social rights and freedoms."Women
The NCRI recognizes "the right of women to vote and stand as candidates in all elections, and the right to vote in all referenda," "the right to employment and free selection of profession, and the right to hold any public office, including the presidency or judgeship," "the right to freely choose clothing," and "the right to use, without discrimination, all instructional, educational, athletic, and artistic resources; the right to participate in all athletic competitions and artistic activities."Economy
The council accepts national capitalism and the bazaar, private ownership and enterprise, as well as private investment. It emphasizes the need to utilize the latest scientific and technical achievements and views relations with industrial countries necessary to reconstruct Iran's economy.Freedom of Religion
The NCRI believes in the separation of Religion and State. According to its ratifications, "all forms of discrimination against the followers of various religions and denominations in the enjoyment of their individual and social rights are prohibited. No citizen shall enjoy any privileges or be subject to any deprivations with respect to nomination for election, suffrage, employment, education, becoming a judge or any other individual or social rights, for reason of belief or non-belief in particular religion or denomination."National Minorities
The NCRI recognizes the rights of all ethnic and national minorities. It has adopted a plan for the autonomy of Iranian Kurdistan, specifying that "the administration of all affairs of the autonomous region of Kurdistan," except for those related to foreign policy, national defense, national security, foreign trade and customs, "fall within the authority of the autonomous organs."International Relations
The council's foreign policy is based on independence, respect for the United Nations Charter and international conventions and treaties, good neighborliness, international and regional cooperation and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. The NCRI supports the Middle East peace process and is committed to maintaining and protecting peace and tranquility in the region and condemns any aggression and expansionism. The council opposes nuclear proliferation and the production of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.Designation as a terrorist organization
The NCRI is regarded by the Islamic Republic of Iran as a terrorist organization, and is classified as a Foreign Terrorist OrganisationU.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations
"Foreign Terrorist Organization" is a designation of non-United States-based organizations declared terrorist by the United States Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act...
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the latter alleging that the NCRI "is not a separate organization, but is instead, and has been, an integral part of the MEK at all relevant times" and that the NCRI is "the political branch" of the MEK rather than vice versa.
However, some top US officials such as Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
(the former House majority leader 1995-2003) have acknowledged that the State Department wrongly included MEK in the terrorist list from the beginning. Alireza Jafarzadeh
Alireza Jafarzadeh
Alireza Jafarzadeh is a media commentator on the Middle East and an active dissident figure to the Iranian government. He is best known for revealing the existence of clandestine nuclear facilities in Iran in 2002...
was its official representative in the USA until the Washington office was closed by the US State Department in 2002 on the grounds that it was only a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran
People's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
(PMOI, also known as MEK or MKO), by then listed as a terrorist organisation
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in the United States. It has been alleged that the inclusion of NCRI and MEK in the list was a token offered to the theocratic regime of Iran rather than based the facts of the matter. According to the Wall Street Journal "Senior diplomats in the Clinton administration say the MEK figured prominently as a bargaining chip in a bridge-building effort with Tehran." The Journal added that: In 1997, the State Department added the MEK to a list of global terrorist organizations as "a signal" of the U.S.'s desire for rapprochement with Tehran's reformists, says Martin Indyk
Martin Indyk
Martin Sean Indyk is Vice President and Director for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Indyk served as United States ambassador to Israel and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Clinton Administration. He is known as the framer of the U.S...
, who at the time was assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. President Khatami's government "considered it a pretty big deal," Mr. Indyk says.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in May 2004 implied that NCRI is part of the People's Mujahedin of Iran
People's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mujahedin of Iran is a terrorist militant organization that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran....
(rather than vice versa) and excluded the NCRI itself from a list of organisations considered to be terrorist organisations, including the People's Mujahedin of Iran "minus the National Council of Resistance of Iran" on its list of terrorist organisations.
On Monday January 26, 2009, EU Council of Ministers agreed to remove the PMOI from the EU terror list. The group said it was the outcome of a “seven-year-long legal and political battle”.
The Middle East department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
(FCO) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stated in early 2006 that it is widely understood that “Iran’s [nuclear] program, which was kept secret from the IAEA for 18 years, became public knowledge largely because of revelations of the NCRI, and this led to heightened international concern.” At the same time Michael Axworthy, former head of the Iran section at the FCO, claimed that the NCRI is a "tightly disciplined front-organization for the MEK and deemed them unreliable."